Uranium Glassware

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Uranium Glassware

Although pretty to look at — like glassware made of translucent jade — your grandmother's uranium tea set is probably why her teeth started falling out of her head at an alarming rate at such an early age.

Of course, we can't fault grandma: it's only the Manhattan Project that really clued us in to the dangers of ingesting raw radioactive materials. But throughout the 19th century and continuing up until the 70's, raw uranium was a popular material used to tinge glassware. There are an estimated 4,160,000 pieces of decorative uranium glass that were produced between 1958 and 1978; 15,000 uranium drinking glasses were produced from 1968 to 1972.

Even more surprising, some glass makers still use uranium, although for decorative purposes only. There's nothing like a throbbing neon face that glows in the dark as a conversation piece, though we imagine a disclaimer sticker warning "Plastic Flowers Only!" is slapped on the bottom of every one.

Uranium glass is actually called "vaseline glass." Got a hot date tonight? Don't worry, it won't be flesh-searingly hot: Vaseline lubricant is made of entirely different stuff.